(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)

"(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)"
Song by Ella Fitzgerald
Recorded1936
GenreJazz, swing
Songwriter(s)Sam Coslow

"(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)" is a song written by Sam Coslow for Rhythm on the Range[1] that is strongly associated with Ella Fitzgerald.

It was first recorded by Fitzgerald on 29 October 1936[2] and became one of her signature songs.[3] It was a firm fixture of her live performances, providing a springboard for her scat singing.

The song was intended as a satire on Arturo Toscanini.[4]

On the 2007 tribute album We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song recorded to mark Fitzgerald's 90th birthday, it was performed by Chaka Kahn and Natalie Cole. Cole and Patti Austin performed the song at the tribute concert to Fitzgerald on June 6, 2007.[5]

Recordings

References

  1. ^ Original versions of (If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It written by Sam Coslow | SecondHandSongs
  2. ^ "Ella Fitzgerald Discography - Discography - Part 1". Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  3. ^ Harrington, Richard (17 June 1996). "The voice of a lifetime: Elegant Ella Fitzgerald Sang Her Way Into Our Hearts". The Washington Post. p. C01.
  4. ^ a b Tick, Judith (2023). Becoming Ella Fitzgerald: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0393241051.
  5. ^ Great Performances . We Love Ella! . Musical Selections | PBS
  6. ^ Weatherford, Mike (20 January 2012). "Celine Dion show a slick, fresh celebration of live musicianship". The Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 6J.


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